Extractor-cleaner reclaiming machine



Nov. 23, 1937. J. E. MITCHELL EXTRACTOR CLEANER RECLAIMING MACHINE Filed March 13, 1937 l I l I llili rllllllva //V!/EN7'O/?. JOHN E. MITCHELL, 5) @9141. W

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Patented Nov. 23, 1937 PATENT OFFlCE EXTRACTOR-CLEANER RECLAIMING MACHINE John E. Mitchell, Dallas, Tex. Application March13, 1937, Serial No. 130,619

6 Claims.

The present invention-is allied in subjectmatter with the invention described and claimed in my pending application, Ser. No. 80,241 relating to an improvement in cotton cleaning and reclaiming machine, in that the same essential elements are employed for extracting and cleaning the cotton, and reclaiming the small-lock cotton not engaged by the teeth of the extracting cylinder and escaping with the hulls and trash 1o past the same through an opening provided for the purpose; but adifierent arrangement, and changes in the relative directions of rotation of these elements enable me to overcome certain disadvantages which developed in the operation of" the machine made according to the invention of the applicationaforesaid, and which in varying degrees, depending somewhat on the character of the cotton being treated; interfere with the attainment of the desired maximum degree 10f capacity and efficiency.

The machine of this earlier application is provided with a're'claiming saw cylinder rotating in the opposite direction to that of the extracting cylinder, and with a 'domng cylinder mounted above the reclaiming cylinder and rotating in the same direction as the extracting cylinder, the down-going side of the dofiing cylinder and the up-going side of the extracting cylinder defining a space through which hulls, trash, and small- 3 look cotton escaping past the extracting cylinder fall on the reclaiming cylinder, oron its associated hull board.

This combination is a thoroughly particable one for reclaiming small-lock cotton from the "hulls; but experience has demonstrated that the relative positions and directions of. rotation of the partsshown in the drawing of the application referred to, present certain disadvantages which prevent the accomplishment of all of the results 40 desired, because, mainly, of the difficulty of deliver'ing the hulls and small-lock cotton directly from the discharge opening past the extracting cylinder to the hull-board of the reclaimingcylinder. That is to say, the sp'acebelow the discharge opening being defined, on the one side, I

by the down-going side of the dofiing cylinder, and on the other, by the up-going side of the extracting cylinder, the hulls and small-lock cotton, which it was contemplated should pass directly to the reclaiming cylinder, are caused to be thrown back and forth, more or less, so that small locks of cotton, which sometimes bounce from the extracting cylinder over to thedowngoing side of the doffing cylinder, strike the latter i in such a way as to be thrown out of the machine over the top of the hull board of the reclaiming cylinder, while, at the same time, too large a percentage of the hulls bounce from the extracting cylinder down on top of the reclaiming cylinder and are carried around by the dofling cylinder; whereas, it is essential to the best results to have all of the hulls and small-lock cotton escaping through the discharge opening go directly, and without interference, to the lower rising side of the reclaiming cylinder in order to make an immediate and accurate separation and recovery of the small-lock cotton from the hulls without congestion at any point.

Another feature in the earlier machine tending to produce some degree of interference with the direct flow of the escaping hulls and lock cotton to the reclaiming cylinder, is the fact that the cotton doffed from the reclaiming cylinder is projected across the path of the cotton locks and hulls passing to the reclaiming cylinder, with the result that a certain proportion of both streams is diverted from its proper course. This, in itself, is not in any way a serious disadvantage, as the particles in both streams are usually widely separated from each other; nevertheless, it increases to some extent the interference to the direct fiow of the escaping hulls and cotton locks to the reclaiming cylinder caused by the opposite directions of rotation of the opposed sides of the extracting and doling cylinders, as previously mentioned.

The general object of the present invention may be stated to be to deliver the hulls and lock cotton escaping past an extracting cylinder directly to a reclaiming cylinder, without interference from any source, and to this end to position a combined directing and dofiing cylinder directly beneath the discharge opening through which such hulls and lock cotton escape so that, in association with a guide provided for the purpose, one portion of said directing and doifing cylinder will immediately remove the escaping hulls and small-lock cotton from the extracting cylinder and deliver the same directly to the reclaiming cylinder, while another portion Will doff the reclaimed cotton and deliver it through a clear, or undisturbed, field directly to the extracting cylinder.

Considered structurally, and as compared with the machine of my pending application, the machine forming the subject of the present invention is characterized by an extracting cylinder and co-operating hull-board, the lower end of which defines, with the up-going side of the extracting cylinder, an opening for the escape past the extracting cylinder of hulls and locks of cotton not engaged by the teeth of the cylinder; a combined directing cylinder and doffer located immediately under said opening, rotating in an opposite direction to the extracting cylinder, with its up-going side located in proximity to, but out of contact with, the corresponding side of the extracting cylinder, and moving in the same direction; reclaiming mechanism comprising a reclaiming saw-cylinder located beneath said directing cylinder in doffing relation thereto, and

rotating in the same direction as the extracting cylinder, but in an opposite direction to the directing cylinder; a guide positioned opposite the down-going side of the directing cylinder for causing the hulls and small-lock cotton carried around by the directing cylinder to be delivered directly to the reclaiming mechanism below; and

means, preferably in the form of a hull-board,

'for permitting the escape of hulls and trash from the reclaiming cylinder while the cotton locks recovered thereby are doffed therefrom by the directing cylinder and returned to the up-going side of the extracting cylinder.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which the view is a longitudinal section through a machine constructed according to my invention, the conventional driving mechanism for the rotary parts being omitted, and the directions of rotation of these parts being indicated by arrows applied thereto.

Referring now to the drawing, the numeral l indicates, generally, the casing of the machine which incloses all of the moving parts of the machine hereinafter described, and which is adapted to be mounted on the top of a ginning machine by such means as standards, 2, and supports, 3, in the usual manner. Located beneath an opening provided in the top of the casing for the inlet of the crude material, consisting of a mixture of loose cotton, cotton locks, hulls and trash, are conventional feed rollers, 4, and befunctions to direct, or project, the incoming material onto the down-going side of a beating cylinder, 6, having its lower half-portion surrounded by a screen, I, and at its lower side to deliver the cotton, hulls and unseparated trash into that part of the casing inclosing the extracting mechanism. The casing is shaped to provide a throat, 8, which receives the material delivered by the directing cylinder and in turn delivers it to a second directing cylinder, 9, which rotates in juxtaposition to a hull-board, ID, the upper portion of which is in the form of a screen, as shown, and the lower portion of which is straight and imperforate, and directed toward the up-going side of the extracting cylinder, I l Between the lower edge of the hull-board and the side of the extracting cylinder an opening, i2, extending throughout the length of the hull-board and cylinder, is provided, for the escape of hulls and trash, and of cotton locks not engaged by the teeth of the extracting cylinder. Co-operating with the extracting cylinder is the usual kicker-roll, l3, for knocking back hulls and trash carried up by the cotton, and dofier, M, which removes the cotton from the extracting cylinder and delivers: it through a chute, !5, to the gin below.

The parts above described may be considered as more or less conventional, and my invention is more immediately concerned with the reclaiming mechanism co-operating with the describedextracting mechanism, and which will now be described.

Located directly below the escape opening [2 is a directing cylinder, l6, which also, at its under side, acts as a dofier for a reclaiming saw-cylinder,

i1, located, in turn, beneath the directing cylinder it. The latter rotates in the direction shown by the arrow thereon, or opposite to the direction of rotation of the extracting cylinder ll, so that the hulls, trash, and small-lock cotton escaping through the opening [2 are immediately carried away from the extracting cylinder and delivered to the reclaiming cylinder at the up-going side therea confined stream, without interferencefrom any other mechanism, directly to the reclaiming.

mechanism below; that is, to the rising side of the reclaiming cylinder l1. Preferably, as in the machine of my pending application referred to, e

I associate with the reclaiming cylinder a hull- 1 board, [9, which at its lower end defines one side of a relatively narrow space, 20, extending past the reclaiming cylinder, which permits the ready escape of small hull particles and trash slidingdown the hull-board l9, but which is not wide enough to permit the escape of small-lock cotton, the latter being accordingly engaged by the teeth of the reclaiming cylinder and carried upward and under the doffer and delivered by itto the extracting cylinder, as before stated. Also, the I hull-board l 9 is of such height, and its upper end is located at such distance from the up-going side of the reclaiming cylinder, as to permit the latter to knock the larger hulls over the top of the hullboard. At the same time, this distance is such as to prevent any cotton looks from being knocked over the upper end of the hull-board, the cotton locks, of course, being lighter in weight than the large hulls. However, so far as the present in- A vention is concerned, any other means than those last described could be employed for effecting the removal of the hulls and trash from the smalllock cotton to be recovered by the reclaiming cylinder, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

All refuse, including the sand, dirt and small trash passing through the two screens, and the hulls and other trash escaping from, or ejected by,

the reclaiming mechanism. falls into a conveyor, 3

, foregoing description of the invention. One feature connected with the extracting operation may be briefly referred to, however, although it is not directly involved in the present invention; and

this is, that the crude material falling on the hull-board I0 is propelled at a relatively high rate of speed thereover by the directing cylinder 9 to cause it to clear the opening I2 and to be projected against the up-going side of the extracting cylinder, so as to insure that substantially all of the free, or loose, cotton and a considerable amount of the small-lock cotton will be engaged by the teeth of said cylinder, while only hulls,1

trash and the remainder of the small-lock cotton will escape through the opening 12, to be thereafter dealt with by the reclaiming cylinderin the manner which has been described. Thus, hulls and trash constitute the major portion of the product escaping through the opening I2, and it will now be apparent that the rapid removal of 1 such "product from'the extracting cylinder, and

the=substantially equally rapid removal, or-sepa ration, of the hulls and trash in the reclaiming mechanism, is necessaryto the recovery by the machine, considered as a whole, of the maximum amount of cotton free from adhering, or admixed, extraneous matter. Moreover, when once extracted, or reclaimed, it is perhaps of equal importance that there should be no further contact of the cotton with the hulls and trash.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawing, it will be seen that my improved machine provides for the positive and rapid removal of the escaping products from the extracting cylinder and their delivery to the reclaiming mechanism; and that once started on their respective courses, neither the mechanism itself, nor any condition brought about by the operation thereof, offers any interference to the passage of the hulls, trash and small-lock cotton to the reclaiming cylinder, or to that of the recovered cotton from the reclaiming cylinder to the extracting cylinder.

I claim:

1. In a cotton-extracting, cleaning and reclaiming machine, in combination with an extracting cylinder and means for delivering a stream of mixed cotton and hulls to the up-going sidethereof, which latter provides one side of an opening for the escape past the cylinder of hulls and trash, and of small-lock cotton not engaged by the teeth of the cylinder, a directing cylinder located beneath said opening and rotating in the opposite direction to the extracting cylinder, a reclaiming cylinder located below and in doffing relation to the directing cylinder and adapted to receive on its up-going side from said directing cylinder the products escaping through said opening and to have reclaimed cotton locks doifed therefrom by the directing cylinder and returned to the rising side of the extracting cylinder, and means for permitting the escape of hulls and 'trash from the reclaiming cylinder.

'side of the extracting cylinder, a discharge opening between the lower edge of said hull board and said side of the extracting cylinder for the escape of hulls and trash, and of small-lock cotton not engaged by the teeth of said cylinder, a directing cylinder located beneath said opening and rotating in the opposite direction to the extracting cylinder, a reclaiming cylinder located below and in doifing relation to the directing cylinder, guide means for causing the hulls. trash and smalllock cotton falling through said opening on the directing cylinder to be directed against the rising side of the reclaiming cylinder, and means for permitting the escape of hulls and trash from the reclaiming cylinder while the cotton locks recovered thereby are doifed by the directing cylinder and returned to the rising side of the extracting cylinder. 7

3. In a cotton-extracting, cleaning and reclaiming machine, in combination with an extracting cylinder and means for delivering a stream of mixed cotton and hulls to the up-going side thereof, which latter provides one side of an opening for the escape past the cylinder of hulls and trash, and of small-lock cotton not engaged by the teeth of the cylinder, a directing cylinder located beneath said opening and rotating in the opposite direction to the extracting cylinder, a reclaiming cylinder located below and in dofling relation to the directing cylinder and rotating in the same direction as the extracting cylinder, means for causing the hulls, trash and small-lock cotton falling through said opening on the directing cylinder to be delivered to the rising side of the reclaiming cylinder, and means for effecting the removal of hulls and trash from the reclaiming cylinder while the cotton locks recovered thereby are doifed by the directing cylinder and returned to the up-going side of the extracting cylinder.

4. In a cotton-extracting, cleaning and reclaiming machine, in combination with an extracting cylinder, means for delivering a stream of mixed cotton and hulls to the up-going side thereof and defining with said side an opening for the escape past the cylinder of hulls and trash, and of smalllock cotton not engaged by the teeth of the cylinder, a directing cylinder located beneath said opening and rotating in the opposite direction to the extracting cylinder, a reclaiming cylinder located below and in doling relation to the directing cylinder and rotating in the same direction as the extracting cylinder, means for causing the hulls, trash and small-lock cotton falling through said opening on the directing cylinder to be delivered to the rising side of the reclaiming cylinder, and means for effecting the removal of hulls and trash from the reclaiming cylinder while the cotton locks recovered thereby are doffed by the directing cylinder and returned to the up-going side of the extracting cylinder, the construction presenting, and in operation preserving, clear fields for the passage of the hulls, trash and small-lock cotton to the reclaiming cylinder, and of the reclaimed cotton to the extracting cylinder, respectively.

5. In a cotton-extracting, cleaning and reclaiming machine, in combination with an extracting cylinder, means for delivering a stream of mixed cotton and hulls to the up-going side thereof and defining with said side an opening for the escape past the cylinder of hulls and trash, and of small-lock cotton not engaged by the teeth of the cylinder, a reclaiming cylinder rotating in the same direction as the extracting cylinder with its down-going side facing the same at a distance therefrom, a plurality of means, including a combined directing and doifing cylinder rotating in an opposite direction to the extracting cylinder, operating to continuously remove the escaping products from the extracting cylinder, deliver same to the rising side of said reclaiming cylinder and dofi therefrom the recovered cotton and deliver same to the up-going side of the extracting cylinder, the construction presenting, and in operation preserving, clear fields for the passage of the hulls, trash and small-lock cotton to the reclaiming cylinder, and of the recovered cotton to the extracting cylinder, respectively.

6. In a cotton-extracting, cleaning and reclaiming machine, in combination with an extracting cylinder, means for delivering a stream of mixed cotton and hulls to the up-going side thereof and defining with said side an opening for the escape past the cylinder of hulls and trash, and of smalllock cotton not engaged by the teeth of the cylinder, a reclaiming cylinder rotating in the same direction as the extracting cylinder with its down-going side facing the same at a, distance der removes from the reclaiming cylinder the recovered cotton and delivers same to the up-going side of the extracting cylinder, the construction presenting, and in operation preserving, clear fields for the passage of the hulls, trash and smalllockcotton to the reclaiming cylinder, and of the recovered cotton to the extracting cylinder, re-

spectively.

JOHN E. MITCHELL. 

